The adult is about 1/4-inch long, yellow-green with a black head and antennae. There are twelve black spots on the wing covers. The larva (rootworm) is cream colored and about 3/4-inch long when fully developed, with a brown head capsule and bearing three pairs of short legs.
Adult beetles overwinter and become active in the spring, feeding on a wide variety of host plants including weeds and grasses. They enter fields (corn) after new plants have started. Eggs hatch in 5 to 11 days and young larvae crawl through the soil and feed on roots of corn, sorghum or other hosts. Larvae develop through three stages (instars) in 10 to 16 days before pupating and then emerge as adults after 5 to 12 days. Thus, the development takes 20 to 39 days, depending on soil temperature.
Adult beetles feed on leaves and flowers of some plants and larvae feed on roots of corn and other plants.. .
Scout plants twice a week, especially when plants have less than five leaves. Since cucumber beetles like shade, examine the undersides of young leaves, and stems. Predators include Tachnid flies, soldier beetles, parasitic nematodes and braconid wasps. Lacewings and ladybugs eat the eggs.